Personal Growth: The Farmer and His Crops

I am a farmer; a tiller of the soil. I have been all my life. Interestingly, I did not realize my profession until just recently, sixty-four years after I was given my tools and my plot of land. I do not feel foolish in saying that; I believe it to be true of most people I have encountered.

How can that be you ask? How is it possible that a man, sliding down the backslope of middle age, suddenly realizes his calling in life? Surely he must be addled; surely he must be daft beyond all hope.

We all begin with good soil | Source

IN THE BEGINNING

"It is only the farmer who faithfully plants seeds in the Spring, who reaps a harvest in the Autumn." Unknown author

I was given incredibly fertile land at birth, and I was given the finest set of tools a person could ask for. As I rested on hands and knees during those early years, I looked out over my kingdom and saw the rich, dark soil and the infinite possibilities of bountiful crops, and I smiled. Who wouldn’t smile, knowing what I knew then, that greatness was before me, and all that was required was that I do the work and manage my land with great care and love.

I was given two hands, two feet, a mind, imagination and determination. I was given support and love, and if there was a limit to my potential I certainly did not see it.

So I planted my seeds in the springtime of my life, and as generations had done before me, I watered them and tended to them gently.

HARSH WINDS BLOW

Bitter winds blew as the years passed, loosening the soil, tearing at the roots of my young crops. Those roots were too shallow; they had not had time to grow deep and strengthen, and the much-needed nutrients had not soaked into the young plants.

No windbreaks had been grown for protection; the elements continued to pound unmercifully, and this gardener had no answer for the onslaught.

How does one anchor the roots? How does one stop the wind, the rain, and the snow? The answers to those questions were in the gardening books that had been given to me by my parents at a young age, but they had been abandoned on the shelf, gathering dust, forgotten at a time when they should have been opened and memorized.

We all have such books. We all have the wisdom of the ages awaiting us each and every day, but all too often wisdom is wasted on impetuous youth, and so it was for this farmer. The answers were there for the taking, but I was much too busy blaming the wind, blaming the rain, blaming the snows and yes, blaming the damn soil.

To blame the nature of life is a fool’s errand, and I was a fool for sure.

THE JET STREAM SHIFTS DIRECTION

We are told that patience is a virtue, but no one ever mentions that patience requires patience. LOL Oh, how unfair that is!

We are also told that pain is a great motivator, and so it was for this gardener.

For too many summers I went without crops. My stomach cried out for the sustenance that was sorely lacking, and the pain, at times, was almost unbearable. Slowly…ever so slowly…the realization came to me that the answers were not to be found in blame, nor were the answers to be found in quick-fix solutions that held no future bounty.

I needed to return to basics, to those gardening traditions and principles that had been handed down to me so many years before. I needed to properly prepare the soil. I needed to surround my fields with wind breaks to protect them from the harsh winds, and I needed to ask for help from neighboring gardeners when I was in search of answers.

I pulled the dusty tomes from the shelf and blew off the years of neglect. I bought myself new gardening clothes, and I took the cotton out of my ears and stuffed it in my mouth. I became a farming student, empty of opinion and ego, desperately willing to listen as only the dying can be.

Miraculously, or perhaps not at all so, the jet stream shifted and the warm, gentle breezes of rejuvenation blew through my garden. The soil warmed; the roots held deep; the life-giving sunshine bathed my land in its elixir, and my crops once again rose above the surface and reached for the heavens.

The hope of a new day | Source

THE PROMISED BOUNTY HAS ARRIVED

The struggles ended six years ago. I have experienced six years of bumper crops, each year better than the last. I walk the garden this year and I can predict with certainty that 2013 will be another record-breaking year for my crops.

Do not be mistaken in thinking that the harsh winds never return, for from time to time they slice down from the north with icy breaths and piecing threats of doom. They do not, however, pose a threat, for I have learned to trust in the soil and trust in the nutrients I have added over the past six years.

I have learned to carefully mix equal parts of compassion and love, empathy and happiness, into a fertilizer that is the equal of any potion ever concocted. It is a growth hormone for sure, and one I have no intention of abandoning in the future. As long as I continue to sprinkle its sweet nectar on my garden I am rewarded with priceless gifts year after year.

Sit with me awhile

THE WISDOM OF THE AGES

There are times in life when we farmers/gardeners try to complicate life too much. We are like ships on a fog-shrouded sea. Our sight is disrupted; our hearing confused by the sounds muffled by the fog. A world we once felt a kinship with no longer resembles anything we have experienced, and we lose our way in the fogbank.

We never think to check our personal compass!

Our personal compass will always point to true north, but we must be willing to accept that reading as the truth.

So it was for this gardener of life. Once I trusted in my own personal, internal compass, I was fine. Once I trusted in the wisdom handed down to me decades ago, and quit trying to re-invent the wheel, I was fine.

The land I had been given sixty-four years ago was the best I could have ever hoped for. The tools were forged from strong metal and would withstand the elements. The wisdom handed down to me was timeless and true.

Comments

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sending

Author

Bill Holland 4 years agofrom Olympia, WA

Thank you Lillee! Greatly appreciated!

Lillee McLoflin 4 years agofrom Texas

This hub is very inspiring. Thank you so much for posting it.

Author

Bill Holland 4 years agofrom Olympia, WA

Sha, I'm just a homesteader at heart. :)

Shauna L Bowling 4 years agofrom Central Florida

Bill, we will never lose touch; you are deeper in my soul than anybody!

Author

Bill Holland 4 years agofrom Olympia, WA

Thank you Sha and I repeat your hopes.....I'm glad you liked this; this is one of those hubs that made me proud when I had finished it. It's nice to know others appreciated it as well.

Hope you are well my dear; stay in touch.

love,

bill

Shauna L Bowling 4 years agofrom Central Florida

Bill, personally, I think this is your best hub yet. Comparing nurturing our beings to nurturing the soil is brilliant and one to which I think we can all relate. We humans are living, growing beings. Our ideas grow, our morals become formed and steady, our compassion grows and our souls become fertilized with love, appreciation and goodwill.

May we never stop growing and offering fertile soil to all around us!

Author

Bill Holland 4 years agofrom Olympia, WA

Mel, we are about two months from planting season and I'm already excited. Still have a little bit of winter to plow through. Thank you for your kind words my friend.

Melanie Chisnall 4 years agofrom Cape Town, South Africa

Lovely hub Bill! I think it's important - though frustrating and heart crushing at times - that things go wrong sometimes so that we can learn from them, and come back doing it better than before. So glad to hear that your crops are soaring! Look forward to seeing some more pics of your garden and veggies :)

Author

Bill Holland 4 years agofrom Olympia, WA

Sasha, it's so good to see you. I hope you are well. You have been missed. Thank you!

Sasha Kim 4 years ago

Absolutely beautiful Bill! Thank you for blessing us with such a wonderful hub to read ^_^ voting and sharing of course!

Author

Bill Holland 4 years agofrom Olympia, WA

Thank you Glimmer! I was pleased with this hub and it's nice to know others felt the same.

Glimmer Twin Fan 4 years ago

What a wonderful analogy and how many seeds you have planted by your writing. Awesome hub!!!

Author

Bill Holland 4 years agofrom Olympia, WA

Thank you Mark! This was one of my favorite pieces to day. Hey, if you give me a call about the poster, leave a message if I don't answer, okay? Thanks buddy!

Mark G Weller 4 years agofrom Lake Charles, LA.

Bill, I am catching up on comments after being away all week. This my friend is simply awesome. The parable you weave is so simple and yet so complex. We all have the soil and the tools, and just have to use them and trust in them.

Mark

Author

Bill Holland 4 years agofrom Olympia, WA

Thank you Dianna! This one was special to me and I'm glad you enjoyed it so much.

Dianna Mendez 4 years ago

The earth provides us with so much in our lives and the wise farmer knows how to work it to benefit for life. You have touched upon many of the ideals we must seek in life by your sharing on this thought. Food for life!

Author

Bill Holland 4 years agofrom Olympia, WA

Thank you Denise! This one was actually very easy to write....practically wrote itself. :)

Author

Bill Holland 4 years agofrom Olympia, WA

Shelley, thank you! I actually felt good about this one when I finished...that's not always the case. :) Have a great weekend my friend.

Denise Handlon 4 years agofrom North Carolina

What a great analysis and metaphor of your life, Bill. Thanks for sharing.

Shelley Watson 4 years ago

Are there any adjectives left to describe your analogy, that your loyal followers have not already found? Your articulate, stirring penmanship is fodder for thought and inspiration for my brain. I cannot believe the heights you have reached in just one year. You are so richly deserving Bill of your accolades. Thank you for sharing this piece.

Author

Bill Holland 4 years agofrom Olympia, WA

Indeed they are, Deb...indeed they are! Thank you my friend and have a great weekend.

Deb Hirt 4 years agofrom Stillwater, OK

Some lessons are learned the hard way, are they not? I have been enriching my little piece of OK soil with coffee grounds, egg shells, and compost. Plus I have been adding decaying leaves to the soil. I'm sure that it will be ready to plant soon enough. The hard soil will become supple and worms will help, too.

Author

Bill Holland 4 years agofrom Olympia, WA

Phoenix, it really is a remarkable phenomena.....the figurative pen just takes off on its own accord...it is magical. I just wish it happened daily. :) Thank you kind lady!

Zulma Burgos-Dudgeon 4 years agofrom United Kingdom

I love when this happens. It's almost as if it's someone else is doing the creating and we're giving it life through our pen or keyboard as the case may be. Enjoy your weekend in Washington.

Author

Bill Holland 4 years agofrom Olympia, WA

Jo, thank you kindly! I felt good about this hub and I'm happy that it was well-received. Have a wonderful weekend.

Author

Bill Holland 4 years agofrom Olympia, WA

Phoenix, I'm glad you chose the latter.....and yes, you did mention this was amazing, in glowing praise for which I am grateful. This was just one of the hubs that took on a life of its own; every now and then I feel the pen take off on its own without me to guide it. Again, thank you my friend, and have a great weekend in the UK.

Author

Bill Holland 4 years agofrom Olympia, WA

Reba, I know all about those weeds. They need constant supervision as you well know. :) Thank you so much for your kind words. Role Model? Well, I'm not sure what to say about that, but I am honored by your words. Thank you my dear friend! Have a wonderful weekend!

Jo Alexis-Hagues 4 years agofrom Bedfordshire, U.K

Billy, farming, gardening or working the land are wonderful metaphors for life, it is honest hard work but you reap what you sow. In life all our action have consequences, as in farming.

Billybuc, whether you till the soil or wear off the computer keys your yield will be well worth the effort. You've done it again, simply marvelous.

Zulma Burgos-Dudgeon 4 years agofrom United Kingdom

This is an amazing hub. The analogy is breath taking and so very apt. I could bristle with jealousy at your deft touch with the printed word or I could read and enjoy the message herein and cultivate my writing skills by learning from my betters. There was a time I would have gone for the former. But as I am beginning to harvest better crops, I'm going to opt for the latter as it is much more fun an productive.

Did I mention this is a amazing hub.

Author

Bill Holland 4 years agofrom Olympia, WA

It is indeed, Martin! Thanks for sharing that.

Martin Kloess 4 years agofrom San Francisco

Thank you for this. I was 17 when I finally gave up on my "family" and moved out on my own. I am a 33rd degree mason for my contributions to society. In other words: what you are suggesting is possible.

Dancing Water 4 years ago

Wow, Bill, your writing is soaring! I am so amazed as to how poetic and profound your thoughts and the expression of them are! You take the metaphor of farming to yet another level. Thank you so much again and again for giving so much of yourself here. Do you realize that you are becoming a role model? What existence could be greater?

I have not been writing of late. I am afraid that I see too many weeds in my garden, and they are getting in the way of my delving into the ever so rewarding and challenging life of a writer. Thus, as I weed my way towards a goal of three hubs a week, I am inspired and uplifted by your wonderful words, Bill.

In faith,

Reba

Author

Bill Holland 4 years agofrom Olympia, WA

Yep, we sure are Michelle! Thanks!

Michelle Liew 4 years agofrom Singapore

Bill, we are all farmers that responsible for the outcomes of our lives and generating good. Thanks for sharing.

Author

Bill Holland 4 years agofrom Olympia, WA

Toknowinfo, that has to be one of the loveliest comments I have ever received. You know when I found my writer's voice? The day I decided to share my whole story, and hopefully give others a chance to learn from my life. When I do that I feel like I am a good writer; anything short of that and I'm just spinning my wheels. I have a message, and if it helps others then I am the most satisfied writer in the universe.

Your kindness humbles me. I truly am proud to be your friend, and I wish you the happiest of years in 2013. Thank you from the bottom of my old heart. :)

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Bill Holland 4 years agofrom Olympia, WA

Cyndi, I'm so glad to hear that you like the teaching gig, and that it fits into your other activities. It may just be the perfect fit for you. You go lil' Sis!

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Bill Holland 4 years agofrom Olympia, WA

Jordan, welcome back my friend! Yes, holidays can be quite busy, but I'm glad to see you back buddy. Thank you and Happy New Year to you.

Cynthia Sageleaf 4 years agofrom Western NC

BB - I've realized my calling: writing and art (painting, crafting, photography) and speaking a bit of Spanish. I think I found a way to put it all together today: teaching 10 hours a week at a small private school that starts its days by meditating, then I get to write and take photos. OMG...BLISS. So your hub fits in with today's theme: BLISS. You go!

Jordanwalker39 4 years agofrom GA

Great hub as usual! Sorry I have been absent holidays can be busy. Looking forward to catching up.

toknowinfo 4 years ago

Hi Bill, First of all, let me congratulate you on 365 hubs in less than 365 days! You accomplished what you set out to do and I admire you greatly for your determination and mindset. I am so proud of you and celebrate this milestone of yours. Secondly, this hub is so beautiful. While I have enjoyed each and every piece of your writing, I was captivated by this one. Your analogy about farming to the life you have led was so symbolic, so real, and so palpable that I could feel more than ever some of what you have gone through. Thank you for sharing so openly, your pain, and your triumphs, your faults, and your many virtues. There are so many reasons your hub touched me, but the one that stands out the most, is that this matches so much, one of my philosophies. I call it "the seeds I sow". Because I believe the things we do today, plant seeds for tomorrow. All our yesterdays yield the harvest or not of what we have today. I feel, especially as I get older and have learned, it is important to live a purposeful life. Not all our seeds yield crops. I have planted plenty of seeds in soil that I didn't realize was no good, and I planted many seeds that have given me abundance in ways I am more than grateful for. We all make mistakes when farming the land. You neglected your crops, I mistakenly thought all soil was good for planting. The beauty in your writing and in the example of the not easy life you have led is a shining example to keep working the soil and "the seeds we sow", will surely yield something to be proud of. Your writing has blossomed since hub 1, and I look forward to the field of wisdom you will continue to bless us with.

Happy and Healthy New Year to you and Bev

Author

Bill Holland 4 years agofrom Olympia, WA

Thunder, then I have accomplished what I wanted to do, so thank you so much for telling me that.

Author

Bill Holland 4 years agofrom Olympia, WA

Thanks for telling me about your work, Melissa! I always like to know more about my friends on HP. I love that your husband stays home with the kids. Great arrangement and it will pay dividends for your children in the long run.

Thank you for your kind words; they are music to this writer's ears. :)

Author

Bill Holland 4 years agofrom Olympia, WA

Hey Rasta....thank you! That is high praise indeed. The wind doesn't much care if we fight or we don't now does it? Best to just, as you say, stand firm. :)

Catherine Taylor 4 years agofrom Canada

Beautiful, simply beautiful. I had stepped away from here for a while and was looking for something inspiring to read to get me back to on track. Your hubs are pure lyrical magic bb. Happy New Year to you!

Melissa Propp 4 years agofrom Minnesota

Bill, this was absolutely poetic! What a beautiful metaphor for life.... I do have to ask, is that first photo your actual garden? Because it is quite lovely too!

I am feeling much better today thank you--I knew I should have gotten that flu shot! I work in the financial printing industry, on the investment management side. You know all those pesky annual reports and prospectuses you receive in the mail? Well, my company typesets them, prints them, mails them, and files them with the SEC. I do none of the above, but coordinate it all. It isn't exactly "creative" work, but it pays well enough to allow my husband to stay home with the kids.

Enough about me, I just want to reiterate that this was a beautiful hub and I really enjoyed reading it!

Marvin Parke 4 years agofrom Jamaica

Spoken like a true Rasta man. This metaphorical piece is uplifting. We do not blame the wind for we have no control over that, We just keep standing firm.

Author

Bill Holland 4 years agofrom Olympia, WA

Turtlewoman, thank you so much; I appreciate you stopping by, and Happy New Year to you as well.

Kim Lam 4 years agofrom California

You are a farmer who spreads his wisdom through these hubs. Great read! Happy new year my friend.

Author

Bill Holland 4 years agofrom Olympia, WA

Awww, Kelly, thank you! I assume you are back from Mexico all tanned and lovely. Welcome back!

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Bill Holland 4 years agofrom Olympia, WA

Hey Beckie!

That would be an interesting morning, wouldn't it? My goodness, that would have me looking over my shoulder for years to come. LOL Thanks for the laugh, although I doubt it was very funny at the time.

Thank you by the way; this is my poetic side which does not surface often. :)

love,

billy

Shining Irish Eyes 4 years agofrom Upstate, New York

Billy

You always use such perfect symbolism when getting the important point across.

Speaking of planting crops....Some years back my Aunt Connie (who lives in Mass.) was at her kitchen sink when a loud collection of vehicles screeched to a halt all over her grass and back yard. As she made her way outside, she was greeted by ATF guys running down her back hill into the woods. As a helicopter wafted over her head, she was told that someone took it upon themselves to plant a crop of pot in her back woods. I guess that gives new meaning to being too late to reap what you harvest!

Just thought I'd add that for some much-needed laughter.

True story, by the way.

Love, Beckie XOXOXOXO

Kelly Umphenour 4 years agofrom St. Louis, MO

Hi Bill! I'm a believer and I believe you're a heck of a farmer:)

Author

Bill Holland 4 years agofrom Olympia, WA

Ah Linda....you and I use many of the same tools my friend; maybe that's why we have that kindred thing going on. :) Thank you my dear; hope you are having a great day!

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Bill Holland 4 years agofrom Olympia, WA

Thank you again Eddy!

Linda Crist 4 years agofrom Central Virginia

Oh my friend, I do love this one. You were indeed given fertile land and strong tools and you are using them to their greatest potential. I love the spin!

Eiddwen 4 years agofrom Wales

You are so very welcome Billy. This hub touched me greatly and the words flowed out.

Lots of love from my little corner of Wales.

Eddy.

Author

Bill Holland 4 years agofrom Olympia, WA

Wow, Eddy, did you just write that? That was beautiful....the perfect appendage to my hub. Thank you my dear. Sending hugs and love from across The Pond.

billy

Author

Bill Holland 4 years agofrom Olympia, WA

xstatic, thank you Sir! I finally learned how to care for the soil and it made all the difference. :)

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Bill Holland 4 years agofrom Olympia, WA

Debbie, God bless the farmer for sure. Where would we be without him (or her)?

Thank you my dear friend! Blessings to you on this chilly morn'

bill

Author

Bill Holland 4 years agofrom Olympia, WA

Leslie, what am I going to do with you? Your comments are funnier than any comedy hubs done on HP. As for my tool.....thank God the keyboard provides some use. :) Thank you my dear; let's leave the god discussion for another day.

love to you too...say hi to mom and dad for me!

Author

Bill Holland 4 years agofrom Olympia, WA

Hey Brian, good to see you! On the videos I just ad lib....it's the teacher in me. No cue cards needed when one is full of b.s. :) I have seen that Eastwood movie; good analogy and I agree with you...awareness is the key.

Thank you my friend.

Author

Bill Holland 4 years agofrom Olympia, WA

Thank you Stephanie! Greatly appreciated!

Eiddwen 4 years agofrom Wales

We sow and reap

No gain seems to show

But patience and virtue

Will see the crops grow.

x

Some may thrive

While others may fail.

But in the end they withstand

Life's strong gusty gale.

x

Let us sit and ponder

Let us look on in pride

Our crops we now share

Yes far and wide.

x

All I have now to say is :-

"Thank you for being you my dear friend Billy!"

Eddy.

Jim Higgins 4 years agofrom Eugene, Oregon

Agreeing with Mary and others who have posted here that this is an outstanding hub and parable of life. That is good looking land and has a good steward to care for it.

Deborah Brooks Langford 4 years agofrom Brownsville,TX

Bill how awesome is this.. the farmer is a very important to our way of life.. we need the farmer so we can eat.. In the spring we love to plant our tomatoes and peppers and a few other items but we depend on the farmer to keep vegetates and fruits in the stores.. My father on the other hand grows all his vegetables and my mom would can them and they would have vegetables all year round.. I have learn how to can and its so great to have can veges in the winter,

God B less the farmer

love your hub

sharing

Debbie

Karen Silverman 4 years ago

You are simply brilliant (and i know you'll appreciate the verbiage..)!

This had me giggling the entire read - i absolutely loved every word!

Yes, you were given all those tools, Bill and - you eventually learned (the hard way) how to use them! Better late than never - some folks wouldn't know the difference between a Hoe and a, well...ho..(ho,ho?lol)..

The other 'tool' i am very happy you were given - is a KEYBOARD!

Hmmm...maybe there is a god? (ooooo....damn! one line too many..)

Love you, my brotha' from anotha' motha'...(and fatha'...we think!)

Brian Leekley 4 years agofrom Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA

Up and awesome and shared with followers.

When you do your video talks, do you use cue cards? Do you rehearse? Do you edit or reshoot?

Coincidentally, last evening my wife and I watched the Clint Eastwood movie Honkytonk Man. It begins with a farm family losing all when a dust storm wipes out the crop in which they have invested all their money. Later dialogue suggests that the disaster was the result of years of mismanagement of the soil in the whole region.

If not upon circumstances, upon what does happiness depend? To me it seems to be the default state of being aware of being.

stephanieb27 4 years agofrom United States

Great analogy, very similar to how I feel in my own life!! Voted up and beautiful!

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Bill Holland 4 years agofrom Olympia, WA

Made, I suspect you and Bev have a great deal in common. I will say hello for you!

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Bill Holland 4 years agofrom Olympia, WA

Janine...shared all over....you crack me up! If you don't win a Hub Award this year for Most Supportive then the elections are rigged! Thank you Janine and have a great day!

Madeleine Salin 4 years agofrom Finland

It's nice hearing that Bev and I think this is poetic. Say hello to her from "Made in Finland". :)

Janine Huldie 4 years agofrom New York, New York

Beautiful Bill and loved how you related your life here to this. I am a firm believer in trying to enjoy enjoy day as best as possible, so loved your thinking here. Have of course voted way up and shared all over!!

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Bill Holland 4 years agofrom Olympia, WA

Made, you will be happy to know that Bev agrees with you. That was her first comment when I read it to her....this is poetic! :) I'm really happy you liked it my dear, and thank you!

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Bill Holland 4 years agofrom Olympia, WA

Thank you Mary; that was a very sweet comment to begin my day with. :)

Mary Craig 4 years agofrom New York

Bill, from reading your hubs, I have no doubt there isn't a bad seed left in sight for you....your good seeds have taken over and filled your life.

God bless.

Madeleine Salin 4 years agofrom Finland

.. And the man writing this hub filled with wisdom is my friend Bill. How lucky am I? You are still teaching your readers about life and the true meaning of it. I really enjoyed reading this, because it was like a very long poem, and I like poetry very much you know... :)

Author

Bill Holland 4 years agofrom Olympia, WA

Mary, good morning my dear friend, and thank you! I think we all hope to lose those bad seeds, don't we? I'm shedding most of them, and I feel so much better.

Have a marvelous day my friend, and Happy New Year to you.

Mary Craig 4 years agofrom New York

You, my friend, are definitely not addled but a true gardener of life. My prayer for you is that you continue to reap the benefits of all the good deeds you have sowed and any that were bad seeds, have fallen away.

This one is beautiful Bill , your analogy is so touching. Thank God we have "farmers" like you!

May I again wish you and yours a happy and blessed New Year dear friend?

Voted up, useful, awesome, and interesting. Oh, and shared too!

Author

Bill Holland 4 years agofrom Olympia, WA

Carol, that was extremely fast. You most certainly did get the email thing working. Thank you my friend and have a great day!

carol stanley 4 years agofrom Arizona

The analogy to life. Very interesting Bill. How true...We should all wake up and not only smell the flowers but try to grow them. I finally got the email thing settled..now just learning the new computer...I enjoyed reading this and am voting up and pinning.